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| USS WASP |
MELDING THE
MARINE CORPS/
NAVY TEAM
BY RICHARD H. WAGNER
(Originally published by the Navy League
of the United States, New York Council in
The Log, Summer 2007).
MARINE CORPS/
NAVY TEAM
BY RICHARD H. WAGNER
(Originally published by the Navy League
of the United States, New York Council in
The Log, Summer 2007).
The lead ship in this year’s Fleet Week
flotilla was USS WASP (LHD 1), an
amphibious assault ship. The WASP is
used as the centerpiece of an
expeditionary strike group, the primary
purpose of which is to transport, land
and support landings by Marines.
WASP can transport 1,700 troops and
their equipment. She also has extensive
medical facilities that not only are used to
care for Sailors and Marines wounded in
battle but also to provide humanitarian
relief. In fact, during her most recent
deployment WASP was diverted to take
onboard a cruise ship passenger whose
illness was beyond the capabilities of the
medical staff on the civilian ship. A short
time before, she was diverted to
rendezvous with a Chilean submarine
which needed medical assistance for a
member of her crew.
Marines can be put ashore from WASP
either by air or by sea. In the past, air
assaults have been done exclusively by
helicopter but now WASP is embarking
the M-22 Osprey, which can take off
and land like a helicopter and fly like a
fixed wing aircraft.
Landings by sea are done either using
traditional landing craft or by the use of
LCACs (Landing Craft Air-Cushioned).
LCACs skim across the water on an air
cushion propelled by giant fans and can
emerge from the water onto a beach.
They can carry 145 combat-equipped
Marines at speeds of over 40 knots.
One of the ways WASP differs from the
similarly looking Tarawa-class assault
ships is that she can carry three such
craft in her well deck.
Another way WASP differs from the
Tarawas is that she has better ability to
support vertical take off and landing
Harrier fighter-bombers. These jet
aircraft provide close air support for the
Marines over the beachhead. Unlike the
British Invincible-class aircraft carriers,
which pioneered the use of Sea Harriers
in combat, American assault ships do not
have a “ski-jump” to assist the aircraft in
taking off. The designers felt that the
decks of the wasp-class and Tarawa-
class ships were sufficiently long that
even heavily-laden Harriers would have
sufficient room to to do a rolling take-
off. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, two
assault ships were used as “Harrier-
carriers” in order to provide additional
close air support. WASP also embarks
helicopters such as the AH-1 W/Z Super
Cobra to provide air support.
There are no Marine units permanently
assigned to WASP. Rather, the ship is
utilized by whatever unit is needed for the
particular mission. During Fleet Week,
the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and
II Marine aircraft were embarked on
WASP.
Lt. General Keith Stalder, Commanding
General, II Marine Expeditionary Force,
spoke to The Log about the role of the
WASP. “It really is the Navy/Marine
Corps team. When people think of
amphibious operations there is a
tendency to not understand that it is a
team. This assault ship represents the
melding of the Navy/Marine Corps
team. The mental picture for most of the
public is that it is a traditional World War
II-like, very large-scale amphibious
assault. Well, that is one of the things
that could be done, it is some of these
lesser known missions that occupy most
of our time - - amphibious raids,
evacuation operations, amphibious
presence in trouble spots, disaster relief.
There is a whole wide array of missions
that the United States finds useful that
come to the Navy/Marine Corps team.”
These types of missions require close
cooperation between Sailors and
Marines. “They work together
extraordinarily well. There is no daylight
between them as far as training, as far as
tactics, as far as equipment and as far as
employment of the force. It is absolutely
a national treasure how the amphibious
team works together. You could see it in
action in an actual assault, it is an
absolutely inspiring thing.”
This cooperation extends to
humanitarian missions such as the
disaster relief work provided from
assault ships after the Asian Tsunami and
after Hurricane Katrina. “The Navy and
the Marines are really integrated into
those kind of efforts in a seamless way.
So, while you may see press coverage of
the Navy doing it on one day, chances
are the Marines are doing it at the same
time or the Marines will be doing it the
next day. On a ship like the WASP, you
have both Navy and Marine capability
integrated together so wherever you see
one usually you see the other.”
The Marines are at the very tip of the
spear in Iraq and as such, the question
arises how is the declining public support
for the war affecting morale. One
Marine lieutenant said that the Marines
sense that the public is drawing a
distinction between support for the war
and support for the troops. Along the
same lines, General Stalder commented:
“The Marines appreciate the public
support for the troops. We sense that
the American public supports us
extraordinarily well and we are very
appreciative of that. The Marines
recognize that there are different views
on the war. That is all healthy, that is
part of the democracy of the American
political discourse. What is very
gratifying is that the Marines and Sailors
recognize that the spirit of the public
towards them is absolutely extraordinary
and they appreciate it. It makes us that
much more motivated in doing their
job.”
flotilla was USS WASP (LHD 1), an
amphibious assault ship. The WASP is
used as the centerpiece of an
expeditionary strike group, the primary
purpose of which is to transport, land
and support landings by Marines.
WASP can transport 1,700 troops and
their equipment. She also has extensive
medical facilities that not only are used to
care for Sailors and Marines wounded in
battle but also to provide humanitarian
relief. In fact, during her most recent
deployment WASP was diverted to take
onboard a cruise ship passenger whose
illness was beyond the capabilities of the
medical staff on the civilian ship. A short
time before, she was diverted to
rendezvous with a Chilean submarine
which needed medical assistance for a
member of her crew.
Marines can be put ashore from WASP
either by air or by sea. In the past, air
assaults have been done exclusively by
helicopter but now WASP is embarking
the M-22 Osprey, which can take off
and land like a helicopter and fly like a
fixed wing aircraft.
Landings by sea are done either using
traditional landing craft or by the use of
LCACs (Landing Craft Air-Cushioned).
LCACs skim across the water on an air
cushion propelled by giant fans and can
emerge from the water onto a beach.
They can carry 145 combat-equipped
Marines at speeds of over 40 knots.
One of the ways WASP differs from the
similarly looking Tarawa-class assault
ships is that she can carry three such
craft in her well deck.
Another way WASP differs from the
Tarawas is that she has better ability to
support vertical take off and landing
Harrier fighter-bombers. These jet
aircraft provide close air support for the
Marines over the beachhead. Unlike the
British Invincible-class aircraft carriers,
which pioneered the use of Sea Harriers
in combat, American assault ships do not
have a “ski-jump” to assist the aircraft in
taking off. The designers felt that the
decks of the wasp-class and Tarawa-
class ships were sufficiently long that
even heavily-laden Harriers would have
sufficient room to to do a rolling take-
off. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, two
assault ships were used as “Harrier-
carriers” in order to provide additional
close air support. WASP also embarks
helicopters such as the AH-1 W/Z Super
Cobra to provide air support.
There are no Marine units permanently
assigned to WASP. Rather, the ship is
utilized by whatever unit is needed for the
particular mission. During Fleet Week,
the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and
II Marine aircraft were embarked on
WASP.
Lt. General Keith Stalder, Commanding
General, II Marine Expeditionary Force,
spoke to The Log about the role of the
WASP. “It really is the Navy/Marine
Corps team. When people think of
amphibious operations there is a
tendency to not understand that it is a
team. This assault ship represents the
melding of the Navy/Marine Corps
team. The mental picture for most of the
public is that it is a traditional World War
II-like, very large-scale amphibious
assault. Well, that is one of the things
that could be done, it is some of these
lesser known missions that occupy most
of our time - - amphibious raids,
evacuation operations, amphibious
presence in trouble spots, disaster relief.
There is a whole wide array of missions
that the United States finds useful that
come to the Navy/Marine Corps team.”
These types of missions require close
cooperation between Sailors and
Marines. “They work together
extraordinarily well. There is no daylight
between them as far as training, as far as
tactics, as far as equipment and as far as
employment of the force. It is absolutely
a national treasure how the amphibious
team works together. You could see it in
action in an actual assault, it is an
absolutely inspiring thing.”
This cooperation extends to
humanitarian missions such as the
disaster relief work provided from
assault ships after the Asian Tsunami and
after Hurricane Katrina. “The Navy and
the Marines are really integrated into
those kind of efforts in a seamless way.
So, while you may see press coverage of
the Navy doing it on one day, chances
are the Marines are doing it at the same
time or the Marines will be doing it the
next day. On a ship like the WASP, you
have both Navy and Marine capability
integrated together so wherever you see
one usually you see the other.”
The Marines are at the very tip of the
spear in Iraq and as such, the question
arises how is the declining public support
for the war affecting morale. One
Marine lieutenant said that the Marines
sense that the public is drawing a
distinction between support for the war
and support for the troops. Along the
same lines, General Stalder commented:
“The Marines appreciate the public
support for the troops. We sense that
the American public supports us
extraordinarily well and we are very
appreciative of that. The Marines
recognize that there are different views
on the war. That is all healthy, that is
part of the democracy of the American
political discourse. What is very
gratifying is that the Marines and Sailors
recognize that the spirit of the public
towards them is absolutely extraordinary
and they appreciate it. It makes us that
much more motivated in doing their
job.”
| General Keith Stalder |
Still, there is frustration. A Marine
captain spoke with anger about how his
unit had risked their lives to save an
insurgent who had been wounded in a
fire fight even though he had murdered a
family before the Marines arrived, only
to read a negative press report about the
incident. Another Marine said, “I hope
it will still be worth it after 2008.”
Along the same lines, a platoon leader
said that since there has been no
experience with democracy in Iraq,
achieving it is not high on the average
person’s priority list. Furthermore, the
problem in Iraq is not so much religious
differences but rather a tradition of
corruption among government officials.
But, Marines do not make policy. As
General Stalder explained: “The Marines
will do whatever job the nation needs the
Marines to do. We always have, we
always will. All we need is guidance and
a set of orders.”
Engaging in nation-building in Iraq is not
a traditional role for Marines and it is
one that takes time and resources away
from the roles that Marines have
traditionally fulfilled. “The war in Iraq is
the main effort, there is no doubt about
that. It is what we do, what we need to
be doing, . . . that is the name of the
game. That is being done very well.
What we have to guard against over a
long period of time is that we don't lose
our core competencies in some of the
traditional missions like large-scale
amphibious operations. Strategically, the
nation relies on the Marine Corps to be
able to do a range of missions. It is
something that we need to watch. The
Commandant is watching it. The senior
leadership is watching it.”
Many of the Sailors and Marines
present for Fleet Week had been in or
shortly would be going to Iraq. Indeed,
one young officer attending the Council’s
dinner for junior officers looked around
at the staid refinement of the New York
Athletic Club and commented that it was
hard to believe that only a few weeks
before he had been patrolling the streets
of Baghdad. As a result, the experience
of Fleet Week was especially
meaningful. “They are very excited. The
focus here, all the great supporters in
New York. They treat us like kings and
queens. The young Sailors and Marines
are motivated to begin with and are truly
motivated when they see all the support
and appreciation from the Navy League
and all the other supporters and
sponsors.”
captain spoke with anger about how his
unit had risked their lives to save an
insurgent who had been wounded in a
fire fight even though he had murdered a
family before the Marines arrived, only
to read a negative press report about the
incident. Another Marine said, “I hope
it will still be worth it after 2008.”
Along the same lines, a platoon leader
said that since there has been no
experience with democracy in Iraq,
achieving it is not high on the average
person’s priority list. Furthermore, the
problem in Iraq is not so much religious
differences but rather a tradition of
corruption among government officials.
But, Marines do not make policy. As
General Stalder explained: “The Marines
will do whatever job the nation needs the
Marines to do. We always have, we
always will. All we need is guidance and
a set of orders.”
Engaging in nation-building in Iraq is not
a traditional role for Marines and it is
one that takes time and resources away
from the roles that Marines have
traditionally fulfilled. “The war in Iraq is
the main effort, there is no doubt about
that. It is what we do, what we need to
be doing, . . . that is the name of the
game. That is being done very well.
What we have to guard against over a
long period of time is that we don't lose
our core competencies in some of the
traditional missions like large-scale
amphibious operations. Strategically, the
nation relies on the Marine Corps to be
able to do a range of missions. It is
something that we need to watch. The
Commandant is watching it. The senior
leadership is watching it.”
Many of the Sailors and Marines
present for Fleet Week had been in or
shortly would be going to Iraq. Indeed,
one young officer attending the Council’s
dinner for junior officers looked around
at the staid refinement of the New York
Athletic Club and commented that it was
hard to believe that only a few weeks
before he had been patrolling the streets
of Baghdad. As a result, the experience
of Fleet Week was especially
meaningful. “They are very excited. The
focus here, all the great supporters in
New York. They treat us like kings and
queens. The young Sailors and Marines
are motivated to begin with and are truly
motivated when they see all the support
and appreciation from the Navy League
and all the other supporters and
sponsors.”
Marines standing on a Humvee in
WASP's equipment bay.
WASP's equipment bay.
